MEDIA INFORMATION

2018 FIA (WRC) Round 9: ADAC Rallye Deutschland

MICHELIN Pilot Sport tyres: a complete range for the asphalt

After a sequence of four gravel rounds, in Argentina, Portugal, Sardinia and Finland, the FIA World Rally Championship returns to asphalt this weekend. Round 9 takes crews to for one of the most challenging sealed-surface events of the year where the sheer variety of stage profiles and the frequently fickle weather can make tyre strategy particularly complex.

The total length of the 2018 Rallye Deutschland stands at 1,221.89km which includes 325.76 competitive kilometres, making it slightly longer than last season when the same figures were 1,165.25km and 309.17km respectively. The number of stages has fallen from 21 to 18, however.

Friday’s action features two visits to two tight tests through the Mosel Valley vineyards, plus two tricky super-specials in Wadern-Weiskirchen. The next day packs more than 150km of against-the- clock action – almost half the event’s total. This includes two attempts at Panzerplatte, an essentially half-concrete/half-asphalt run over the notorious army ranges and the longest stage of the weekend at 38.57km. The last day’s Power Stage – Bosenberg – will end near which will this year host both Thursday evening’s ceremonial start and the final podium festivities. Sunday will also see competitors make two trips to Grafschaft (29.07km) – on the flanks of the Mosel River – which returns to the programme this year. The service park will again be based around 60km southeast of on the lakeshore at Bostalsee which hosted Rallye Deutschland’s epicentre in the early Noughties.

Michelin will provide its WRC partner teams with a choice between the new soft-compound MICHELIN Pilot Sport S6 and the hard-compound MICHELIN Pilot Sport H5.

Spotlight on the MICHELIN Pilot Sport S6

The current Michelin Pilot Sport S6 replaces the former S5 soft-compound option which made its debut in 2016. It was developed for the challenges of the calendar’s asphalt rounds, including the Rallye Monte-Carlo and the which have already taken place this season. It notably stands out from its predecessor through its faster warm-up performance and enhanced grip on wet roads, with no detriment to its exceptional grip and durability in dry conditions.

“We got a glimpse of the potential of the new MICHELIN Pilot Sport S6 on the Rallye Monte-Carlo and of that of the H5 in Corsica,” notes Arnaud Rémy, the manager of Michelin’s rally programmes. “The S6’s versatility and longevity are big plus factors, while the harder H5 has already showcased its strengths on the abrasive Mosel Valley stages. Rallye Deutschland takes place on sealed surfaces, so we won’t see the first crews on the road suffering from the phenomenon of ‘road sweeping”. That said, it will still be necessary to keep a close eye on the weather which is often unpredictable in this part of Germany.”

Didier Laurent – [email protected] – Phone: +33.6.75.60.50.62 Alessandro Barlozzi – alessandro.barlozzi@ michelin.com – Phone: +33.6.42.23.55.93

The MICHELIN Pilot Sport FW3 for heavy rain

In the case of very heavy rain, the French firm’s WRC and WRC2 partners will be able to fit the MICHELIN Pilot Sport FW3 (FW = ‘Full Wet’) which was available for the first time on the same event in 2016. Thanks to its specific tread pattern, which drains water to the shoulders, the MICHELIN Pilot Sport FW3 is designed to combat aquaplaning while still delivering all the qualities required of a world class rally tyre.

“Although the ‘land-to-sea’ ratio of the MICHELIN Sport FW3 doesn’t exceed the minimum requirement of 27.5 percent, it features a higher water-clearance capacity,” adds Arnaud Rémy. “At 175mm, its tread width is narrower than that of the MICHELIN Pilot Sport H5 and S6 [202mm], while the depth of its grooves is 7mm instead of 6mm. The MICHELIN Pilot Sport FW3 is designed exclusively for extreme conditions and only eight per crew will be available for the entire rally.”

WRC crews will be authorised to use up to 32 tyres in the course of Rallye Deutschland from a total allocation that comprises 32 MICHELIN Pilot Sport H5s, 26 MICHELIN Pilot Sport S6s and eight MICHELIN Pilot Sport FW3s.

WRC2 runners will be allowed to use 30 tyres from an allowance of 30 MICHELIN Pilot Sport R H3s, 24 MICHELIN Pilot Sport RSs and eight MICHELIN Pilot Sport FW3s.

Competitors in both classes will be able to fit four additional tyres for Thursday’s shakedown.

Michelin will have 1,830 tyres for the 2018 Rallye Deutschland (WRC: 920 tyres / WRC2: 910).

Michelin staff for the 2018 ADAC Rallye Deutschland

Michelin’s partners at the 2018 ADAC Rallye Deutschland will be backed by a total staff of 17:

 Olivier Vialle (Marketing Director)  Arnaud Rémy (Rally Programme Manager)  4 team advisors  2 coordinators  8 fitters  1 press officer

Didier Laurent – [email protected] – Phone: +33.6.75.60.50.62 Alessandro Barlozzi – alessandro.barlozzi@ michelin.com – Phone: +33.6.42.23.55.93